User blog:Azure Helm/Ponyville Dojo
So, I had this idea a few days ago, and I've been asking about it on the feed, but I want to get as much feedback as possible before committing to it, so I'm throwing this idea out here: I want my character to open up a dojo in Ponyville. I'm posting this to help answer some questions about what exactly this means and why I want to do it. What is a dojo? A dojo is a type of school run in a training center for martial arts. Students sign up for classes where they learn the physical techniques of self-defense as well as the philosophy behind the art they choose to study. Students are given ranks based on their demonstrated mastery of different techniques. A dojo is NOT a place to learn how to cause serious harm to others; in fact, it is just the opposite. The intended use of martial arts is to prevent harm to yourself or others. Why does Ponyville need a dojo? Ponyville is a place with a lot of excitement. Many major events happen there or nearby, so its residents see a lot of action. With the Everfree Forest nearby, there is the risk that a dangerous creature could wander into town (manticore, timber wolf, etc.) It also seems to be a growing trend for some players to have their characters spend time in the Forest, whether they wander in there accidentally or by choice. ICly, ponies will want a place to turn to for help and guidance to deal with dangerous situations in their lives, which is exactly what a dojo would provide. OOCly, some people will, when presented with a related force, not have the good sense to ignore or work around the force. Some people just enjoy an RP that involves a little action. Either way, this would create opportunities to create new RP or to turn not-so-good RP into great RP. Why do I want a dojo? Why am I doing this? Now we get to the personal side of the issue. I love what I've been doing with my character - hanging out with friends, interacting with the ongiong stories of other characters, the occasional adventure, and so on. However, when I think about my character, he doesn't have much that is unique about him; the whole "adventurer deciding to settle down" thing seems to have seen its fair share of repetition. So far, he's developed into a character who fits in as a member of the crowd, and I don't mind that at all except that I don't have anything particularly unique. So I thought about how the not-so-unique traits of my character fit together along with what Ponyville does and doesn't have. It occurred to me that though there are references in the show to fighting or martial arts, the Ponyville of Twitterponies doesn't have any place dedicated to learning about self-defense. I thought about how I've been establishing my character as someone who learned how to effectively defend himself and others (see Azure Helm's page for details.) I decided that if there is no strong objection from the community, I would open a dojo in Ponyville after completing the story arcs I'm currently working on. I'm fairly certain that this idea doesn't go against the guidelines, however I understand that this idea could be seen as encouraging an increase in violent RP. If this idea is strongly opposed with good reason, I'm prefectly fine with not pursuing it; that's why I'm getting feedback on the idea before I commit to it. I'd love to hear as many opinions on this idea as possible, especially from veteran players or mods. Category:Blog posts Category:Blog posts